Additive manufacturing for Medical Devices

Every person is unique. Therefore, optimal patient care in dentistry, orthopedics and implantology requires medical products that provide a perfect fit. There is a high demand for one-off components and components produced in small production runs whose materials and manufacturing standards have to fulfil extremely stringent quality requirements. This also applies to specialized surgical instruments and medical devices. In addition, these products must be made available quickly and cost-effectively.

Additive Manufacturing is meeting these exact requirements – while paving the way for improved, patient-specific medical care. Additive Manufacturing enables producers to come up with faster, more flexible and more cost-effective development and production methods. Unlike conventional manufacturing methods, EOS Additive Manufacturing allows maximum design flexibility, enabling the implementation of innovative functions. Thus, test series, prototypes, patient-specific one-off parts and small production runs can be manufactured at a profit. To give an example, several hundred individual dental crowns can be produced in a single operation.

EOS provides far more than the necessary materials and systems for Additive Manufacturing: comprehensive market knowledge and a precise understanding of specific development processes in the field of medical technology enable EOS to collaborate closely with a strong network of partners. From Rapid Prototyping to series production – EOS provides comprehensive and competent advice and continuous support to customers during the entire development and production process.

EOS systems are able to manufacture medical devices. However, EOS cannot offer any guarantee that these devices meet all requirements.

The titanium implant has a large number of cavities. These weight-reducing recesses in otherwise solid parts can only be achieved through Additive Manufacturing (courtesy of EOS GmbH).

Thin cross-sections of alloy powder are sequentially melted by a laser driven by this geometry, automatically building complete 3D restorations with structural fixtures not yet snapped off (Source: EOS GmbH).

Improved performance at an identical price: the patient-specific implant benefits from a higher precision fit and a price that is in line with the market (Courtesy EOS GmbH).

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White Paper: Bodycad Unicompartmental Knee System (BUKS)

Improving Precision and Accuracy with 3D PrintingWhen it comes to implanting a unicompartmental knee prosthesis (UKP), precision and accuracy are critical for the durability of the prosthesis, and ultimately for the quality of life for the patient. To deliver optimal results, Bodycad, a Quebec City-based developer and manufacturer of personalized orthopedic implants and instruments, has turned to additive manufacturing in development of their revolutionary Unicompartmental Knee System (BUKS). This whitepaper includes a background of the BUKS procedure, along with critical data and results of the new knee arthroplasty technique as it was put to the test and measured against other contemporary methods.